Here's a thought: Maybe doctors should do what nearly every other industry can do. Provide a price quote upfront? I will say there was one circumstance where I

Here's a thought: Maybe doctors should do what nearly every other industry can do. Provide a price quote upfront? I will say there was one circumstance where I received upfront billing without health insurance and that was for a colonoscopy. It was around $2k and they gave a 25% discount for payment upfront. So it's certainly possible for healthcare providers to do this. As I mention below, it's not usually the case: I broke my hand a little over a year ago during a gap without health insurance. Knowing the ER would start at $1000 for a 'hello' and that I might not have a competent specialist, I decided to take matters into my own hands (haha). First was a call to a friend in Montreal with a sister that's a surgeon. I assessed that while driving to Canada would be more cost effective than a US emergency room, the border might give me issues and followup visits would be troublesome. So, I walked off the mountain and made a makeshift splint at a Rite Aid with medical tape and a plastic ruler for around $5 ( https://twitter.com/vvtgd/status/879360595526635520 https://twitter.com/vvtgd/status/879360595526635520 ). When I got back home a few days later I went to a hand specialist, told them I'd pay upfront and had them set it. All in with followups it was around $800. Initially the specialist's receptionist idiots couldn't figure out how to bill me in person. If you have staff that doesn't know how to invoice a client that pays in cash, you shouldn't be in business. Full stop. Why should a cash paid-in-full client pay more than any other insurance company is beyond me. Another back on insurance anecdote: I needed an urgent visit not too long ago. PCP wasn't updated on my card, but I did it through health insurance website. Dr still wouldn't accept. Had to pay in person with my CC. Receptionist stole the CC details (it was the only place I used that card for magstripe transaction at in weeks). I needed to get a new card and manually submit the payment details. It's been two months and I still don't have the money back for the visit. (I'm not going to repeat myself but many years back I also had a rabies vaccination story in which I received almost $20k in hospital bills) What the above anecdote suggests is that the industry is broken and relies on fantasyland pricing because providers no longer have to compete due to insurance networks. The new hotness is VC's getting into running clinics because as universities can do, they can charge unlimited pricing and force the market to accept it. You don't have an option to barter with health providers, you can't sue them when they are scumbags (because professional protections, etc), and in most situations you don't have a choice whether you get sick/injured... it's just the risk of living.